1 Samuel 22:5

Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — The prophet Gad addresses David while he is hiding in a stronghold after leaving his parents in Moab, immediately before Saul learns of David’s location and prepares to hunt him.

The words — The Hebrew תֵשֵׁב (te.Shev) means "you must remain," paired with בַּ/מְּצוּדָ֔ה (ba./me.tzu.Dah) for "in the stronghold," forming a direct command to abandon a fortified position.

The thread — This directive aligns with later biblical references to Gad as a seer whose messages were compiled in a written source titled "the Chronicles of Gad the Seer" (1 Chronicles 29:29), not as a chronicler himself.

Why it lands — The text demands immediate obedience to divine guidance over perceived safety, requiring the reader to prioritize God’s direction above personal security or familiar ground.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיֹּאמֶר֩va/i.yo.Merand/ he said גָּ֨דgadGad הַנָּבִ֜יאha./na.Vi'the/ prophet אֶל־'el-to דָּוִ֗דda.VidDavid לֹ֤אlo'not תֵשֵׁב֙te.Shevyou must remain בַּמְּצוּדָ֔הba./me.tzu.Dahin the/ stronghold לֵ֥ךְlekhgo וּבָֽאתָ־u./va.ta-and/ you will goלְּךָ֖le./Khafor <the>/ yourselfאֶ֣רֶץ'E.retz[the] land of יְהוּדָ֑הye.hu.DahJudah וַיֵּ֣לֶךְva/i.Ye.lekhand/ he went דָּוִ֔דda.VidDavid וַיָּבֹ֖אva/i.ya.Vo'and/ he came יַ֥עַרYa.'ar[the] forest of חָֽרֶת׃ סCha.retHereth

King James Version

And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

Cross-references

1 Chronicles 21:9 And the LORD instructed Gad, David’s seer,
1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer,
2 Chronicles 29:25 Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets.
2 Samuel 24:11 When David got up in the morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:

People named

DavidGad

Places named

Hereth